


Who lives, who dies, who tells the story

by cutebutpsyco



Series: Endgame Countdown [24]
Category: Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Angst, How Do I Tag, Multi, Not Beta Read, post avengers: endgame
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-24
Updated: 2019-04-24
Packaged: 2020-01-25 22:15:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,187
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18583654
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cutebutpsyco/pseuds/cutebutpsyco
Summary: “I loved that kid,” A different voice said. Everyone in the room turned to look at its owner. “I’ve never told him because I’d been said over and over again that love and care make you weak, but I loved him.”





	Who lives, who dies, who tells the story

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this on my mobile while I was going back from my vacation and under pre-Endgame anxiety! This wasn’t the fic I wanted to do for my last part of the Endgame Countdown series, but I find it can work anyway.   
> I jumped on the angst train, I’m sorry!
> 
> Nothing belongs to me, title from Hamilton.

Nat’s light steps against the wooden floor where the only sound in the Tower to the point that when she reached the room where the others were everything fell silent again. Her puffy eyes identified Strange having her shifting closer to the man, the Cloak of Levitation left his shoulders to wrap around the Black Widow’s back, Bruce’s hand reached out for hers and Peter raises his chocolate brown eyes to meet Nat’s, a silent question in them. She nodded.

“In Asgard, we do it in a different way,” Thor started and even the God’s voice was broken. It wasn’t right how painful can be. “When a hero walks to the path to Valhalla, their friends are by their side. I’ll never understand your Midgardian. But I’ll miss you, my sworn brother.” 

He took a huge sip of beer and slammed the glass against the counter while the hornpipes started their litany on the TV screen. Neither of them was ready to take part in the official celebration and they asked for a private one, just to meet the strong opposition from the President. They needed to celebrate the departure on an international hero so that the entire world to watch and mourn. It was bullshit, according to Nat and half of the Avengers, which was the reason why they decided not to show up. 

“We didn’t always agree, there were some of his choices I couldn’t and wouldn’t understand,” Sam said, and Nat felt Peter pushing back against her body, the Cloak wrapped thigher her shoulders so that it was holding the kid too. “But at the end of the day, he was a friend. He will always be a friend, one of my best friends.” 

“The first time I saw him, I thought he was kinda a jerk,” Not even Clint could keep his tears, though, despite the fact that he was trying hard. Nat had known the man long enough to see his eyes glistening behind the stoic expression he was wearing. “Shining suit and perfect hero story. He saved me from a psycho, and then over and over again. He saved my family, and maybe he was a jerk, but he made this possible. I’m not one of the great speeches but thank you. Thank you for having made this earth a better place.”

They went on speaking, everyone throwing larger holes in Nat’s heart until it was Bucky’s turn. Nat straightened her back, searching for the hand of her other lover. Strange took her, while his other hand went on Peter’s hair. She could feel the Sorcerer’s hand shaking and couldn’t tell where was the like between his damaged nerves and the pain of the loose. Her jade eyes ran on Bruce by her left side, the man was clearly zoning out, dark eyes fixed in front of him, but the usual brightness in them it was gone. Her thumb went to brush his hand, but Nat didn’t hope to bring him back with that simple gesture. Probably neither of them would ever go back to the people they were, especially not Nat, Bruce, Thor and Clint.   
The others were their friends and teammates, but there was something completely different from them, they were the original six. 

That was the reason why there were just them, Sam and Bucky and Stephen and Peter in the room. That was the reason why they didn’t go to the official funerals. That was their time to mourn. Their teammates understood, the Government didn’t, but there was no surprise in that either.   
Bucky wasn’t looking too different from Bruce, but after some minutes of total silence, it was clear that whatever he was going to say would have fallen in the void. 

“I loved that kid,” A different voice said. Everyone in the room turned to look at its owner. “I’ve never told him because I’d been said over and over again that love and care make you weak, but I loved him.” 

Nat tensed while the man walked closer, dark eyes fixed on the screen of the TV. “It was wrong, I know that now, and whatever this is, even if it won’t last, won’t help to forgive me, but I loved him. He was my greatest creation, but also my greatest mistake.” 

Howard Stark walked closer to Bucky, and Nat couldn’t say if her tears were of sadness or anger. She could see the green flash from the Eye of Agamotto, though, and an unhealthy shade of green appeared on Bruce’s neck. The Cloak’s helm reached one of the guns Nat kept hidden in her belt ready to handle it to her if it was the case. She noticed Clint moving toward one of his bows and Thor’s fingers was shining with electricity. It was good to see that none of them trusted the man. But for Bucky who didn’t even flinch. 

Howard Stark had been one of the casualties in the Avengers messing with the timelines and, considering that the continuum wasn’t back to its normality, they couldn’t send him back on his merry way toward death. Not that Stark needed to know. That threat was the only leverage Stephen has on the man and wasn’t going to ignore it, even if was technically a lie. 

“I know he’d like to leave those to you,” he said, pushing something in Bucky’s hand. The former Winter Soldier nodded. 

“Thank you, Howard,” He said, looking at whatever the man gave him. Then he raised his eyes on Nat and whispered, in Russian: “It’s fine.”

It wasn’t, she knew it, everyone did, but she nodded anyway because it was the right thing to do. “I have a past - Bucky started, then, going back to English. - and it’s not the best of them all, and I wasn’t completely in control of what I did most times than not, but he was there, he’d always been there. Howard is right: maybe love and care make us weak, but it makes us human as well. And I wouldn’t have been human, without him. Goodbye -“

“Doctors,” Friday interrupted, both Bruce and Stephen turned to acknowledge the AI’s voice. “He just woke up, and is now panicking because he’s alone.” 

“Bucky…?” Stephen asked the permission, and only once the man nodded him and Bruce moved, Peter followed them immediately after having thrown a questioning glance to Nat. She shook her head.

“Go, I’ll come in a couple of minutes,” She said in a whisper, moving closer to Bucky and Sam. She took the Winter Soldier’s metal hand, letting their joined hands fall on the shield in the middle of the table. “Goodbye, Steve.”

“Thank you,” Bucky said, smiling despite the tears. It wasn’t a happy smile, but she knew he couldn’t hope for those smiles soon. “Tony is waiting for you.” 

She nodded and reached the med bay where Tony has been in a coma since the battle against Thanos. And her heart was torn apart because of Steve, but she couldn’t help a sloppy smile when she saw Tony waving at her behind Bruce’s figure when she entered the room.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for having suffered me through the daily posting! If you enjoyed this, kudo and comment on it. 
> 
> My tumblr is ironstrange-is-the-endgame and prompts are always open!


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